Planning to Deploy Application Compatibility Databases for Windows 7

Updated: October 29, 2009

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

Organizations typically have hundreds or thousands of applications installed on computers in the network environment. This may include multiple versions of the same application, and even different updates applied to a single application version. Many of the applications and versions are compatible with Windows 7, but some may have compatibility issues with Windows 7 or with other installed applications or device drivers. The problems resulting from these incompatibilities can range from losing functionality in a single application, such as no longer being able to use a single command on a particular menu in the program, to critical kernel-level faults resulting in a Stop error.

This section helps you develop a plan for deploying application compatibility databases in your Windows 7 environment. Use the following steps to identify applications that may have compatibility issues when running in Windows 7 and to develop a plan to deploy application compatibility databases:

You should also document your deployment plan. Documenting your deployment plan creates a record of your application compatibility database deployment, makes it easier for the deployment team to implement your design, and helps the support team to maintain the policy.